Category - general election 2010 politics and reform

Total Politics has a short interview with Luke Wilkins who saved up his McDonald’s wages to run as an independent for Parliament.

At 18 years old, he made a few headlines recently when it emerged he had collected together his £4.65 an hour wage from his job at McDonald's to raise the £500 deposit needed to stand.

He is one of hundreds of independents who will be standing at this election. Many will be doing so as part of the new Independent Network, which quotes our research as part of its background and inspiration. It has been set up to provide support to the people who have no party machines behind them and so usually start from a natural disadvantage.

For years, the Lib Dems have struggled with the accusation of ‘irrelevance’. They have pointed out quite rightly that smaller parties struggle against an electoral system which works against them, and media which give most of the attention to the two big parties.

For Nick Clegg to now lay into the SNP leader as "irrelevant" and a "two bit player" smacks of double standards. Nether does it do anything to encourage respect, or aid the development of a ‘new politics’. But the most important point is that it perpetuates an arrogant narrative also held by the two big parties, which suggests that smaller parties have little of value to say.

In the absence of a proportional voting system, in the UK, the voters with real power to choose the government are those who live in marginal constituencies, and these are who the main parties and media focus on.

The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) have produced a fantastic tool which will highlight how the big party leaders will be spending their time this election - targeting a very small number of marginal seats. It will be very revealing about where their values lie.